Journal of the Martin School of International Studies

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14 education, furthering progress towards achieving the goal of environmental protection. Providing Opportunities for International Communication & Cooperation In order to truly make progress on the goal of environmental sustainability, educating the international sports community about the connection between sports and the environment is crucial. The Global Forum for Sports and the Environment (G-ForSE) provides a setting for sporting goods manufacturers, event producers, sports federations and sports enthusiasts to discuss their roles in incorporating environmental protection into sports. 36 Every two years, UNEP and the GSA bring representatives from these different sports-related sectors together to focus on environmental action, education and promotion within sports. Topics range from improving sporting facilities (golf courses, ski resorts, surfing destinations, etc.) and their environmental impact, reducing the carbon footprint of major sporting events and ways to better produce and market sporting goods. 37 G-ForSE was partially responsible for convincing the Beijing Organizing Committee of the XXIX Olympiad to sign the “Green Games Agreement” with UNEP. This agreement focused on everything from pollution levels to solid waste disposal methods. 38 Participating in the G-ForSE should be the first step taken by any country looking to become more environmentally conscious and friendly within its respective sporting sector. MDG #8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development Mainstreaming the Presence of Sport in National & Regional Political Agendas Without a strong commitment to include sport in every feasible aspect of the political agenda, 36 “Global Forum for Sports and Environment (G-ForSE).” Global Forum for Sports and Environment — G-ForSE. United Nations Environmental Programme & Global Sports Alliance. Web. 11 May 2010. . 37 “Global Forum for Sports and Environment (G-ForSE).” 11 May 2010. . 38 Report on the International Year of Sport and Physical Education: Sport for a Better World. (Geneva: United Nations, 2005) 145. benefits of using sport as a tool to achieve the MDGs will never be fully recognized. In the European Union’s (EU) first ever White Paper on Sport, released in 2007, the Commission of the European Communities stated: “The Commission recommends strengthening the cooperation between the health, education and sport sectors to be promoted at ministerial level in the Member States in order to define and implement coherent strategies to reduce overweight, obesity and other health risks. In this context, the Commission encourages Member States to examine how to promote the concept of active living through the national education and training systems, including the training of teachers.” 39 With this statement, the EU acknowledged the importance of the sport sector and its cooperation with other essential sectors of society. Giving more attention and respect to each country’s sports ministry will bring positive results. 40 To do this, policymakers can use the growing numbers of guidelines, checklists, toolkits and other forms of information available to them online. Using the 2005 Report on the International Year of Sport and Physical Education as a reference will also serve as a way to help put more emphasis on the use of sports to achieve developmental success. Promoting Global Discussion on Sports for Development Increasing the focus on levels of fair trade, good governance, global debt, and the flow of information are all covered by MDG #8. However, specifically addressing the needs of least developed countries is the most important aspect. Sport, according to the 2005 IYSPE report, “offers endless opportunities for innovative partnerships for development and can be used as a tool to build and foster partnerships between developed and developing nations to work towards achieving 39 White Paper on Sport. Working paper. Commission of the European Communities, 7 Nov. 2007. Web. 11 May 2010. . 40 Report on the International Year of Sport and Physical Education: Sport for a Better World. (Geneva: United Nations, 2005) 381. Journal of the Martin School of International Studies
the MDGs.” 41 It also has the ability to mobilize and connect resources from varying backgrounds, including governments, the UN and other intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, civil society and the media. Sports ambassadors like tennis great Roger Federer, football superstar David Beckham or marathoner Margaret Okayo have helped by using their international celebrity to call attention to the importance sport plays in development, specifically for the UN Children’s Fund. NGOs like People to People Sports Ambassadors work to connect youth around the world through international sporting events. Providing incentives for both celebrities and youth to champion the cause of sports will go far in promoting the benefits of sports in relation to the MDGs. Preferred Program The 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals looms larger every day. Implementing sports-based initiatives can go a long ways towards achieving each one of the goals. In the globalized world in which we live, governments cannot have much success without accounting for the presence and interests of large, multi-national corporations. Countries must develop strong working partnerships with corporations within the sports industry in order to ensure proper working conditions and wages for the millions of people employed by these businesses worldwide. The corporations provide a substantial contribution to the economies of the developing world, meaning that effective compromises between governments and businesses must be reached in order to maximize benefits for both. The value of physical education must continue to be promoted and realized at all levels of policymaking. When building federal and local educational budgets, physical education must remain a top priority, not an exception. For nations providing aid to the developing world, certain stipulations must be created in order to ensure part of the donation is directed towards improving the role of physical education. Moreover, education 41 Report on the International Year of Sport and Physical Education: Sport for a Better World. (Geneva: United Nations, 2005) 386. must also be community-based in order for success to be attained. The training of community leaders in areas of sport and life skills is vital to ensuring that youth are receiving positive messages. The funding of sport-based initiatives aimed at providing educational access to girls and women, especially pregnant women, about the benefits of physical activity is of utmost importance. Governments should look to host or sponsor local and internationally recognized sporting events. These events, ranging from the Olympics to smaller events like the Commonwealth Games, can effectively be used as platforms from which to spread information and awareness about regional issues like environmental protection and disease prevention to sections of populations that would otherwise be inaccessible. The beneficial economic impact of these sporting events cannot be more strongly emphasized. Construction of new sporting venues and infrastructure provides host countries with an abundance of new jobs, and the revenue pulled in by the host country during the course of a tournament, like the FIFA World Cup, is matched by relatively few other international events. Policymakers must also be willing to mainstream sport and its benefits into all aspects of their country’s work. Sport and physical activity must be present in both regional and national agendas, as well as a requirement for future financial aid packages. Accepting the fact that sport can help with development in a variety of ways is crucial to finding success. Attending international forums on sports like G-ForSE can connect countries with others in similar positions with similar goals. Combining this focus and commitment to sport along with any mixture of the abovementioned policy recommendations will provide a new dynamic to the strategy of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and will undoubtedly further their success. Vol. 2, Issue 1 December 2010 15
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Journal of the Martin School of International Studies

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